Typewriting machine



Jan. 11 1927. 1,614,310

J. LINDBURG TYPEWRITING MACHINE Filed Dec. 8. 1923 Patented Jan. 11, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH LINDBUBG, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TQUNDERWOOD TYPE- WRI'IER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

TYPEWRITING MACHINE.

Application filed December 8, 1923.

The invention relates to counters or registers, in typewriting machines, for indicating the amount of work done by the operator.

For the purpose of ascertaining the efliciency of the operator, or for ascertaining. without computation or trouble on the part of the operator, the amount of work to be charged for, counters have been provided which register the number of strokes of the space-bar. From this a record of the number of words, and, consequently, of the amount of matter, written, may be obtained: which, however, is more or less inaccurate due to the fact that the space-bar is operlleretofore, also, counters have been prorided for registering the number of strokes of the character-keys as well as of the spacebar or key; but, in such instances, the carr "e, in its letter-feed movement, has been utilized to drive the counter; thus throwing an added and undesirable burden upon the carriage-motor, and causing the counter to register movements and manipulations of the carriage which have no intended relation to the action of the counter.

Fm'thern'iore, the use of counters in type writing machines has heretofore involved special structural features or modifications in the machine, and the counter has often been a more or less permanent feature of the machine, and this, regardless of the fact that the counter, and consequently such special features, are often not desired and merely constitute expensive inoumbrances.

Heretofore, moreover, the force of keystroke or of carriage-motor power, necessary to drive the counter, has been a variable one; being perhaps relatively slight, as, for in- 41? stance, while units were added in to run the figures of the register up to say 999, but then being much greater, as, for instance, in turning all the wheels together in the movement from 999 to 1000. Such variation in the required. force of stroke, when the keys are the impelling power, may be confusing to the operator, resulting in a miss in the register, involving error and loss of time for correction, and. generally slowing up the operators work. here, on the other hand, a tired motor power, such, for instance, as the spring-drum for driving the carriage, has been relied upon to drive the counter, such motor, if not designed to supply power which is only needed at stated intervals, and

ated at other times than between words.-

Serial No. 679,300.

which, consequently, is wasted at other times, will be inetlicient when called upon at such stated intervals; and misses, with resul ant error and loss of time for correction, may occur. Especially, on these occasions when a i iarticular reading or setting of the mnnher-whcels has called for stronger driving effort, has there been frequent failure of the space'key properly to function on the register.

An object of the invention is the provision of means whereby to drive the counter or register from the keys, whether space-key or character-keys, while nevertheless relieving the operator of the effort otherwise involved in running a unit into the register on a single key-stroke. An object of the invention is the provision of means for rendering inconsequential both the added effort involved in driving the counter and any variation in required driving power, due to a particular reading or setting of the nun1li e1'wheels. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, in which the counter is key-driven, the fore going objects are attained by means of driving connections, from the key or keys to the register-wheels, so proportioned and geared that several key-strokes are required to run a unit into the register; with the result that the effort required to run in the unit may be distributed until the fraction thereof contributed by a single keystroke is imperceptible to the operator.

A further object of the invention is the provision of means whereby both character and space key-strokes may be accurately counted; and whereby the carriage may be relieved of the burden of driving the register; and the latter, together with all special connections therefor, be mountable upon, and detachable from, a machine which requires no special structural features for the accommodation and operation of the reg ster, and which may be of the usual standard construction.

A. further object of the invention is the provision of means whereby, in and through the operation of the characterkeys, the number of words, or amount of matter, writ ten, may be counted into a register uncontrolled by the movements of the carriage; thus eliminating inaccuracies arising from movements and manipulations of the spacekey and carriage which have no intended relation to the action of the register.

Other features and advantages will here inatter appear.

In the accompanying drawings Figure l is a sectional side elevation of a typewriting machine, showing a portion of the main frame and carriage thereon and the invention as applied to the machine.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of some of the parts shown in Figure 1.

Figure 33 is a persp ctive view of a shatr to actuate the counter and clutch devices associated thercv-cith.

Figure -l is a side elevation. as seen from the right-hand side oi the machine, ot the counter and its supporting bracket.

Figure 5 is a sectional side elevation of a iiragliient oi a typewriting machine. showing the mechanism associated with the typeheys and the space-bar tor actuating the counter.

In the Underwood standard typewriting machine, a unive 1 bar is moved rearward, upon the depression of any characterkey or of the space bar or key, to actuate an escapen'ient mechanism T, to permit of a single letter-space movement of the platenearriage S on the main frame 9 of the ma chine. The universal bar is supported by arms 11 on a l'Otfli-Sllil'ft' 12. A spring 13 holds the universal liar torward in its normal position of rest. and returns the universal bar to such normal position upon re lease of the character and space keys.

Clniracter-l-teys 14 are on levers l5. tulerumed at 15. i prings 1T throw the character-key levers l5 upward to normal position when the character-keys are released. liach character-key lever has a pin-and-slot connection 18 with a bell-crank l9, pivoted at 20 to the trame. An upwardly-extending arm 21 ot each of these hell-cranks is pivotally connected at :22 to a type-bar 23. tulcrumed in the usual segment-plate; so that, upon depression of a chameter-key. the typehar is thrown upwz rd and rearward to cause the type to strike on the "'"ont time of the platen 8". Each type-bar is provided with a shoulder ll whereby to engage and throw rcai'ward the universal l. ar t'or actuation of the escapement mechanism. upon operation oi a hey.

i' space bar or key 25 srnniorted on arm. l. pivoted at 2'? to the frame. An which is unitary with the arms 26., extends rearward and upward From the pivot 27. to! engagement with an arm 29 Fast to the rock-shaft 12. to torm a belleranlt with the arms ll which support the universal bar. Consequently, upon depression of the space bar. the arms 11 are rocked rearward with the universal bar to actuate the escapement mechanism.

The roclt-shatt 1 to which the universal bar is connected. is journaled in ears 30 on the rear of a vertieally-disposed standard 30. secured, as by means of bolts 31.. to a part- 32 ot the main frame. Also secured to the rear face of the standard 30, preferably by means of the bolts 81, is a bracket 33 comprising a plate 3 setvertieally and in a plane at right angles to the rocl-:shaitt 12. Suitably secured to and supported upon the plate is a bracket having a horizontallydisposed portion 2:35 and a vertical plate 36 ottset upward, parallel to the plate 34-. The plate 36 has secured thereto a U shaped bracket 37, to the cross-reach Ilt) 0t which a counter or register 39, ot any suitable character, is secured.

The mnnlter-whec ls =t l ot the register are driven 'trom a shaft ll, which is jonrnaled in the register-casing, and which VDI'OT'QCILS torward through the hracltet-mcmlier 518. and carries on its end a worm-gear This gear meshes with a worm l on a shaft ll, journaled in the right-hand end portion to of the bracket 37. On its lettdiand end the shaft carries a elutclrmemher l6 in engagement with a. clutch-member il-T on a stub-shaft 4L8, journaled in the plate The clutch-member 4-6 and the lett-hand end of the shaft it are recessed centrally to receive the right-hand end ot the stub-shaft 48: so that the stnb-shaitt 4-8 terms one hearing for the shaft 44; the other hearing tor the shat't 44: being, as atoresaid, in the righthand wing ot the bracket 3?. The shatt it? passes through the plate 34-, and. on the the left-hand end thereot. has tast thereto a ratchet-wheel l9. It iliollows that suitable step-by-step movement ot the ratchet-whcel 4-5) will result in step-lrv-step movement ot the nnn'iber-wheels ot the register.

The. ratchet-wheel if) moved. throxnrh connections new to be descri ed, whenever the rocker, comprising the arms ll on which. the universal oar is supported. actuated. whether by means ot the ('lL.ltlt'iPldKjJfE or by means oi" the space-hey. To this end. there is loosely pivoted on the ratclwt-shatt 4-9 an arm to. on which a pawl 51 is pivotally mounted. A spring 52. secured at one end to the pawl Til. and at its other end to a link 53, holds the pawl 51 in (,lltl''l f'tllltlnl' with the ratchet 419: so that. when t arm is turned conntercloclqwise. the ratchet th will be given a rotary movement. The ii 53 connects the arm 50 to one arm at of lever pivoted at 55 on the him-het-plate 34-. A. spring so. comiected at one end to the lever-arm 54-, and at its other end to the bracket-plate 34-. draws the arm at rem-war"! and thereby causes an :rm 5. which with the arm terms the lever referred to. to he urged forward. A suitable stop 58 may serve to determine the. normal position (it the lever 5 57 and connected parts. iirotal- 1y supported its trout upon the upper end of the arm or. and at its rear upon an arm 59, is a linlt 60. The arm is pivoted at 61 to the b acket-plate 34; and the lengths of the arms 59 and 57, and the position of the pivots 55 and 61, are such that a parallel motion of the link 60 is had, which maintains the link horizontal. The link 60, at its rear end, has a pin 60 fixed thereon against rotary motion. This pin forms the pivotal connection of the lever-arm 57 to the link 60. Fast to the pin 60 at the righthand end thereof, is a block 62, through which block is threaded a screw 63, to be engaged by a boss 64 on the end of one 01 the arms 11 ot' the universal-bar rocker.

A lock nut 65 provides for an adjustable setting of the screw 63 in the block 62, so that the movements of the rocker and the lever 5%t57 may be properly C(HIQlittfit'l; and so that, if desired, the throw of the lever 5 l57, for a given throw of the universal, may be varied. The mounting of the link 60 is such that, when the rocker is thrown rearward, as a key is depressed, to strike the end oi the screw 63, and thereby to actuate the lever-system through which the ratchet 49 receives its rotary movement,

there will be little relative up and down movement of the screw 68 on the boss 64, and, consequently, little friction at this point. The cylindrical form of the boss 64 further tends to elimination of friction on contact of the same with the screw 63. A dog or dctcnt 66, pivoted at 67 on the bracketplate 34:, is held against the ratchet 49 by means of a spring 68, to hold the ratchet against accidental rotary displacement, in whatever setting it may have.

The lever lid--57 may be of such proportions as to provide for a full one-tooth rotary movement of the ratchet 49 on every stroke of a character-key lever or space-key lever; and the gearing may be such that for a certain number, for example five or ten, of character-key or space-key strokes, one unit will be added into the register. A certain number of keystrokes will he found to be the average number made in the writing and spacing of a word; and the driving connections of the register may be so pro portioned that that number of strokes will result in the addition of one unit into the register. so that the register will in such case indicate the number of words written. \Vhether or not the number of key'strokes required to add one unit into the register be the average number made in the writing of a word, the total number of strokes made, or amount of matter written, will nevertho less be at once deducible from the value, represented in keystrokes, of the units registered.

It is to be noted that the power required for running a unit into the register is not derived from a single key-depression, but is contributed fractionally by each of a plurality of key-depressions; thereby so distributing the required energy as to render almost imperceptible to the operator the effort of driving the register. Even where all the number-wheels may be turned together, as in an advance from the number 999 to the number 1000, the distribution of the required force among a plurality of keys may be such as to make the etlort imperceptible tothe operator, and not distinguishable from the running in of any other unit. The presence of the register need not be perceptible to the operator; since it demands of him no unusual keystroke, nor any intermittent variation of key-stroke.

Variations may be resorted to within the scope of the invention, and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A counter operating attachment for a typewriting machine provided with a universal having a sli ht oscillating movement, said attachment including a support, arms pivoted on the support, a link on said arms having a parallel movement on the support, and a register operably connected with said link, said link being engageable by the universal and relatively arranged with the universal, so that the latter in its operated ett'ective movement will be thrust against the link, whereby the thrust engagement of the universal will operate the register, and said link also having an adjustable member receiving the thrust of said universal.

2. A counter operating attachment: for a typewriting machine including a universal having a slight oscillating movement, a support, a short and long arm lever on the support, an arm also pivoted on the support, a link connecting said pivotal arm with said lever to have a parallel movement on the support, said link positioned with relation. to the universal, so that the latter in its effective movement will bethrust against the link, a register-driving ratchet-wheel, and a driving pawl connected with the long arm of said lever, and a boss adjustable on saidlink, said support being mounted on the typewriter with the lever approximately at the same angle with said universal, where by the thrust engagement of the universal with the link and the engagement of the link with the boss will be substantially constant and also its line of thrust.

3. A counter operating attachment for a typewriting machine including a universal having a slight oscillating movement, a support, a main lever having short and long arms and fulcrumed on the support, an arm also pivoted on the support, a main link connecting said pivoted arm with the short arm of said lever to have a parallel movement on the support, said main link positioned with relation to the universal, so that loo the latter in its effective movement will be thrust against said link, a shaft on the support carrying a ratchet, an arm free on said shaft, a second link connecting the free arm with the long arm of said main lever, a pawl on the pivotal connection of said free arm with said second link, a spring pressing said pawl against said ratch t, whereby swing ing of the main lever will advance the ratchet through said pawl, a distance exceeding the stroke of said universal, a boss adjustable on said main link, said support being mounted on the typewriter with the main lever approximately at: the same angle with said universal, whereby the place of thrust engagement of the universal against the main link and the boss will be substantially constant and also its line of thrust, and a register actuated from said shaft.

t. The combination with a typewriter having a universal. of a support, a shaft on the support, operable means on the support for intermittently advancing said shaft as the universal is operated, a clutch-meniher on said shaft con'iprising a cross-arm and an axial extension beyond the arm, a register on the support, including a second shaft in engagement with the register wheels, a clntch-n'iember on said latter shaft, said clutch-members being at one end of the shaft element and a hearing at the other end beyond its register engagement, a ratchet on said first-mentioned shaft, and link members engaged by the universal to actuate the clutch shafts.

5. T he combination with a typewriter having a universal, of a support, a shaft on the support, a clutclrmember on said shaft comprising a cross-arm and an axial extension beyond the arm, a register on the support including a second shaft in engagement with the register-wheels, and a clutch-memhcr on said latter shaft, said clutch-members being at one end of the shaft element and a hearing at the other end beyond its register engagement.

(i. The combination with a typewriter having a universal, of a support, a shaft on said support, means including links for interniittently advancing said shaft, a thrustmember on said means engaged by the universal to intermittently advance said shaft, a chrtclrmember on said shaft, a second support detachably connected with said support, a shaft having a bearing member on said second support on one end, the latter shaft having a clutchanember on the other end, which clutch-menihers are arranged to interengage and to effect the alignment of said shafts, and means on the second shaft for operably engaging a register.

7. An attachment for a typewriting machine havinga universal having a slight osillating movement, said attaclnnent including a support, a main lever fulcrumed on the support, a shaft on the support carrying a ratchet, an arm free on said shaft, a link connecting said arm with said main lever, a pawl on the pivotal connection of said arm with said link, a spring pressing said pawl against said ratchet, whereby swinging of the main lever will advance the ratchet through said pawl, a tlirusta'eceiving member connected with said lever, said support being detachably mounted on the typewriter with the thrust-receiving member arranged to be engaged by the universal, and a register upon said support actuated from said shaft, means being provided for effect ing an adjustment of said thrust-receiving member.

JOSEPH LINDBURG.

lit) 

